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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: pitch · current · stem · mouse · scale · wax · wave · hand

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. wax — to grow
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. stem — to come from
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. current — of water
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. scale — in music
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. hand — help
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. scale — size or range
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. current — happening now
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. pitch — completely
  23. hand — in cards
  24. stem — of a plant

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com